


There's Nothing In This World I Wouldn't Do

by ImperialKatwala



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: #voteschlatttrauma, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, DADZA COME GET YOUR KIDS, Detective Techno, Family Bonding, Finally!!, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Phil is getting a crash course in SMP lore, Protective Phil, Schlatt is actually really smart, Tommy gets about five seconds of downtime, Tubbo and Tommy have PTSD from the festival and you can't change my mind, Tubbo is included in SBI because I said so, Video Game Mechanics, this is canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:09:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27396244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperialKatwala/pseuds/ImperialKatwala
Summary: Phil took a deep breath, then opened a contact he'd never used before. He'd hoped he would never have to.[Ph1LzA]: Dream, this is Philza. I need a favor.
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Phil Watson, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 261
Kudos: 2247
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	1. Favors

**Author's Note:**

> I Require Sleepy Bois Inc Content To Live
> 
> Title is from Hey Brother by Avicii, which is an Excellent song that I would highly recommend!

Phil sat down heavily on the edge of his bed. Exhaustion weighed on him, pulling him toward sleep - he had been collecting materials for a new build all day today, a mind-numbing and physically draining task - but he had one more thing to do before he could rest. He'd already put it off for too long.

He pulled out his communicator. Usually, on a single-player server, he would have had little use for it, but Phil had called in a few favors. The small device was capable of cross-server messaging now, which helped with the occasional crushing loneliness of being the only person in the whole world. It also let him keep in contact with his sort-of family.

Speaking of which...

Phil opened his conversation with Tommy. He... hadn't gotten any new messages from him in a while, actually, which was slightly concerning. Usually Tommy loved telling him what was happening in his life, though he had mentioned losing an election and Techno coming to help (was that really a few weeks ago already? Had Phil been _that_ absorbed in his new project?). He was probably adjusting to whatever was happening in L'manberg, he was probably busy.

Still, the concern built as Phil scrolled through his other messages and realized he hadn't heard much from _anyone._ Even Tubbo, who once talked Phil's ear off for an hour straight about bees because he was a little bit bored, hadn't been very talkative recently.

Phil bit his lip, thinking. It wouldn't be a good idea to jump to conclusions; maybe something big had been going on that they all needed to focus on, like Phil had been focused on his projects. A gentle nudge should be fine, though... Right?

He went back to his chat room with Tommy. He thought for a long time about what to say, and eventually settled on

[Ph1LzA]: _Hey Tommy, haven't heard from you in a while. How are you?_

Then he waited.

He managed to trade with his villagers for a few extra books, organize his storage system, organize his inventory, and pack today's haul neatly into shulker boxes before his communicator buzzed with a new message.

If anyone else had been around to see it, Phil might have felt a little embarrassed by how quickly he yanked the thing out of his pocket and opened Tommy's message, but he was alone and he was worried.

It wasn't a long message. It was shockingly abrupt for Tommy, actually, and as he read it, Phil's heart sank into his boots.

[TommyInnit]: _Not pogchamp_

[Ph1LzA]: _Is something wrong?_

[TommyInnit]: _What isn't_

[Ph1LzA]: _Tommy, what's happening? Talk to me, I can't help if I don't know what's wrong_

Tommy was silent for a long while. Phil waited, holding his breath, watching the grey dots that indicated the boy was typing appear and disappear. Finally, a message was sent.

[TommyInnit]: _Wilbur isn't himself. Techno shot Tubbo. Things are really complicated and I don't know what to do._

Forget reading between the lines, there were entire _paragraphs_ between those words. Phil felt like he was looking at a sheet draped over the issue, able to see its shape and infer what lay beneath it, but unable to actually see any of it.

There was really only one question Phil needed to ask.

[Ph1LzA]: _Are you safe?_

Tommy's response was quick this time.

[TommyInnit]: _I don't know_

[TommyInnit]: _I hope so but I don't know anymore_

Phil let out a shaky breath. With four of his five family members on the same server, on the same side, Tommy should have felt safe. He should have been able to trust Wilbur and Techno and Tubbo to protect him as he protected them.

Something was horribly, sickeningly wrong.

They exchanged a few more messages - Phil offering what little support he could, Tommy deflecting and asking about what Phil was working on - before Phil signed off to go to bed.

Except when he tried to go to sleep, all he could think about was that message.

Tommy didn't know if he was safe. He _didn't know if he was safe,_ and Phil was worlds away, unable to help. Fear and frustration and worry churned in his gut.

Finally, Phil sat up and took out his communicator again. He took a deep breath, then opened a contact he'd never used before. He'd hoped he would never have to.

[Ph1LzA]: _Dream, this is Philza. I need a favor._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you suppose the favor is?


	2. Grey Days

It was a grey, overcast day on the Dream SMP, and Tommy was about ready to snap.

Everything felt like too much, all at once, and he was either going to scream, punch something, or break down sobbing. Maybe all three.

Tubbo had noticed, of course, and had started quietly helping, making sure Tommy had a way out of stressful conversations and had jobs to do so he could feel useful. Niki had started to catch on, too, and helped where she could. And that was great, really, but... Techno and Wilbur _didn't_ notice. Techno was barely around to notice, too busy in his own little base with his horses and his resource-gathering, and Wilbur was too obsessed with Manberg to focus on anything happening in Pogtopia. He was so fixated on that _stupid button_ he couldn't see how overwhelmed Tommy was getting.

They should have noticed.

Maybe that's why he'd admitted to Phil that something was wrong. Tommy hadn't wanted to worry him, so he'd just avoided talking to his kinda-sorta-semi father figure altogether, but last night... it had just sort of hit him all over again how _much_ all of this was. He hadn't even been able to come to terms with his exile, really, with everything that was happening. So he'd told Phil the bare minimum before common sense slapped him upside the head and he'd started deflecting again. Phil hadn't said too much after that before going to bed, so maybe Tommy had been successful. He wanted Phil to be able to focus on his own world, after all; he had better things to do than worry about Tommy all the time.

"Tommy?"

Tommy fought back a flinch as he was dragged back into reality. "Yeah?"

Tubbo was frowning at him, gentle worry in his eyes. "Did you hear what I said?"

"... No. Sorry. Didn't sleep great last night." That wasn't really a lie.

"I said we're going to be clearing out a few more rooms in the ravine. You never know when new people will join the rebellion!" Tubbo tried for cheerfulness, but it fell slightly flat.

Tommy nodded anyway, forcing himself to smile. "Sounds good, big man!"

Quackity and Niki joined them, pickaxes in hand, and they got to work.

For a while, it was actually pretty fun. They all started joking around, singing working songs (Tommy had a _lovely_ singing voice, shut up Big Q), and expanding the ravine they called home. Tommy put up signs on each completed room with ideas about its use, with input from the others, of course. He almost forgot about the whole mess with Manberg.

Then Wilbur showed up.

"Tommy? Can I talk to you?"

Tommy looked up to see his big brother leaned against the wall, with that same disconnected look in his eyes he'd had since proposing his insane plan. "... Yeah, sure."

As soon as Tommy was close enough, Wilbur put a hand on his shoulder and steered him away from the other three, leading him up the stairs to the tiny hut on the surface.

"What do you think of Quackity?" Wilbur asked without preamble. He still hadn't let go of Tommy's shoulder.

"Big Q's great," Tommy told him, shrugging Wilbur's hand off. "He's been helping out a lot since he got here. Why do you ask?"

Wilbur shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "Do you think he'll do what he said he would? Get a meeting with Schlatt so we can take him down?"

"I mean... he sounded pretty angry with Schlatt. I think he will."

"See, here's the thing, Tommy. _I don't._ We've already seen that no one can be trusted, so why should we trust Quackity?" That disinterested look was slowly draining from Wilbur's eyes, replaced by something manic and wild. It was the same look he'd worn when he talked to Dream, when he'd urged Tommy and Techno to fight.

Tommy fought back a wave of nausea. "What are you saying, Wil?"

"I'm going to blow it all up tomorrow."

It felt like the world dropped out from under Tommy's feet. " _What??_ "

Wilbur was grinning, that wild light shining in his eyes. "I'm just gonna do it. Chekov's gun, remember? It's time to end it."

"Wil, you said you wouldn't!" Tommy reminded him desperately. "You said you'd wait, that we'd try another way first!"

"What's the point if that way will never come to fruition?" Wilbur returned. He was getting angry now. "Quackity won't help us, not when it counts! No one will! So tomorrow, I'm going to take matters into my own hands and -"

Frantic footsteps on the stairs.

Tubbo burst into the small room, breathing hard, communicator in hand. " _Guys look at your communicators look look look!!_ "

Startled out of his tirade, Wilbur just stared for a moment. Then, as Tommy scrambled for his communicator, he slowly followed suit.

Tommy read the words on the screen and very nearly started sobbing. From relief? From guilt? He had no idea. But the stifling feeling of responsibility was lifted now, just a little, just from seeing the notification.

_Ph1LzA has joined the server._

_Ph1LzA whispered to you: Tommy, I don't know how to leave spawn. Where's Pogtopia from here?_

Tommy took a steadying breath before sending a reply.

_You whispered to Ph1LzA: Sit tight, I'll come get you_

"I'm gonna go get him," Tommy announced, moving the dirt out of their doorway.

Wilbur frowned, taking a pace forward. "Tommy -"

"Good luck!" Tubbo chirped, grabbing Wilbur's arm and pulling him back toward the ravine. "Wilbur, I have a few questions for you about the new rooms."

Wilbur protested, of course he did, but Tommy was already out the door and racing as fast as he could to Techno's stables. He needed to borrow a horse, a _fast_ one.

He wasn't expecting Techno to be sitting by the stables, waiting for him.

Techno stood when he saw Tommy approaching and held out the reins to a horse Tommy had never seen before. "She's my fastest. Hurt her and I kill you."

"Your... Are you sure?" Tommy asked hesitantly, not daring to take the reins yet. He knew how long Techno had spent on these horses.

Techno nodded. "Wilbur's actin' weird and I don't like it. Chaos is fun, and Phil's gonna bring plenty of chaos, but Wilbur needs a talkin'-to. Now go on, don't keep him waitin'."

Well, there wasn't much he could say to that. Tommy got on the horse and galloped toward spawn.


	3. Catching Up

World spawn on the Dream SMP was... odd, Phil decided, glancing around at the walls and the trees. Shouldn't there be some sort of... doorway? Or something? He felt sort of trapped in here and he didn't like it all that much.

"Phil!"

Phil turned, grinning. "Tommy!" But the grin faltered when he saw his youngest.

Tommy looked _awful._ He was thin, even more so than normal, and had bruises and scrapes all over, and his clothes were ragged and dirty, and there were dark bags under his eyes. But even still, he was smiling.

Screw it.

Phil ran over to him and pulled him into a bear hug. "Tommy, it's good to see you."

Tommy returned the hug with as much fervor as Phil had given it. It felt almost desperate. "Good to see you too."

Phil had no idea how long the hug lasted. He just held on to Tommy, trying to make up for lost time, until Tommy finally let go.

"Let's get you to Pogtopia, yeah?" Tommy's voice was a bit watery and his eyes were a bit red, but Phil chose to ignore all that and just smile and nod.

"There should be a proper door here," he complained as Tommy led him through a tunnel under the wall. "How in the world are you supposed to know where to go? There's not even a sign!"

"Well not everyone can be as good at building as you, Phil," Tommy teased. He hopped up onto a horse grazing nearby and offered Phil a hand. "Some of us have countries to run and don't have time to mess with _doors_ and _prettifying_ things."

Phil let Tommy help him up. "Guess that'll be my job on the server, then. Making things look nice."

"You'll be great at it! Now hang on, this is Techno's fastest horse!"

"What do you mean his -" The rest of Phil's sentence was cut off by an alarmed yelp as Tommy flicked the reins, bringing the horse from a standstill to a full gallop. And the thing was _fast._ Phil barely had time to register the buildings and locations they flew past - towers, cobblestone lines in the sky, fences, lakes - before they were gone, left behind in a cloud of dust.

Tommy laughed that wild laugh of his, and the sound made something in Phil's chest relax a bit. He sounded happy, genuinely happy and carefree, and the fact that he could still laugh like that meant Phil hadn't waited too long. He'd gotten here in time to help fix things.

"You are a _crazy child!_ " Phil shouted over the wind whipping past.

"Gotta get out of here before Schlatt catches us!" Tommy returned, with the tone of someone trying to not get caught stealing from the cookie jar.

Phil rolled his eyes in fond exasperation, concentrating on not falling off the horse. He would _never_ be able to live that down.

The ride was over soon enough, Tommy bringing Techno's horse to a stop outside an unassuming hill in the middle of a forest.

"C'mon!" he urged, grabbing Phil's coat and tugging him toward the hill.

"Where are we going?"

Tommy grinned and dug away a few pieces of dirt, revealing a tiny hut with a bed, a few chests, and a furnace.

Underwhelming, considering how long Tommy and Wilbur had been out here.

"Tommy -" Phil started, but Tommy's grin only widened as he pulled Phil inside and blocked up the entrance again. He led the way down a tiny spiral staircase Phil hadn't initially noticed, and Phil frowned as he heard their footsteps start to echo.

Then they turned a corner, and his jaw dropped.

Pogtopia was a _ravine._ There were supports and bridges and staircases crisscrossing the entire length of it, and he could see where rooms had been mined out of the sides. Lanterns hung from the ceiling and from hooks on the walls, lighting up the whole space. And someone - probably Tommy - had scattered redstone blocks and polished andesite across the walls and the floor.

_This_ was more like what Phil had been expecting.

"You've been busy," he commented, and Tommy beamed.

"Techno has a potato farm set up, and Tubbo, Niki, Big Q, and I were all working on more rooms earlier, come look!" Tommy ran down the stairs (he was obviously familiar with the route and the movement but he still nearly gave Phil a heart attack, _where are the railings-_ ) and started showing Phil what his life had been like since the election.

Techno's potato farm ("He spent fourteen hours straight getting it set up, Wilbur said!"), the decorations ("Wilbur doesn't like them, but I think they're great"), Tommy's room ("There used to be pistons in here but I ran into a problem with them. Everybody else bullied me for like half an hour. So now there's just my bed and Tubbo's bed"), Niki and Quackity ("This is Phil! Phil's cool! Phil, this is Niki and Big Q, they're new members of Pogtopia but they're cool too"), the new rooms ("We worked really hard on these! I had some ideas about how to use them, but you can pick one for your room if you want!").

It was sort of surreal. So much had happened in so little time, and Phil had had no idea. He tried his best to keep up, though, remembering the things Tommy got particularly excited about, asking questions, staying engaged.

Something was nagging at him, though, and as Tommy wrapped up another story about messing with Tubbo, it finally clicked.

"Tommy, where are your brothers?"

Tommy paused for a moment, frowning. "Um... Techno was by his stables, last I saw, so he's probably either in his base or out getting resources..."

"In his base? He has a separate base?" Phil asked, suddenly realizing that Tommy hadn't mentioned Techno having a room in the ravine.

"Yeah, he said he needed his space or whatever." There was a hint of bitterness in Tommy's voice, but he waved his hand as though he was brushing the thought aside. "I don't know where Tubbo and Wilbur went."

"I think Tubbo dragged our _fearless leader_ into the tunnels," Quackity volunteered with a bit of a sneer.

Niki nodded. "He was saying something about updating the tunnels? He was talking really fast, though, so I think he might have just been trying to keep Wilbur's attention."

"Wil didn't seem pleased with me going to get Phil," Tommy agreed. "I'll have to thank Tubbo later, then."

Didn't seem pleased? What did _that_ mean?

"Tommy," Phil said carefully. "You said last night that Wilbur wasn't himself. What did you mean by that?"

The three members of Pogtopia exchanged glances. Then Tommy sighed and led Phil over to an empty, cold fireplace to sit down. "It's kind of a long story, but it started with the election..."

Phil knew this part of the story. He had heard about the exile, about Pogtopia being founded, about Techno coming to offer assistance. But then Tommy kept going, describing how Techno had been single-mindedly gathering resources and making stronger and stronger weapons, how Wilbur had started to spiral into paranoia and violence. Quackity and Niki chimed in occasionally with their own perspective of events, as well as an insider's view of what Manberg was like.

Then they got to the festival.

To say Phil was horrified was an understatement. He felt sick to his stomach hearing about how Schlatt had treated Tubbo and Techno, how Tubbo had essentially decorated his own funeral, how Techno had been pressured into the role of executioner but had _still done it,_ how Wilbur had been planning to blow up _an entire country._ The fight in the pit, though, was the worst.

Tommy hadn't known if he was safe in Pogtopia anymore. And in Phil's mind, that uncertainty was _completely_ justified.

(Why hadn't he asked for help sooner?)

Phil let out a shaky breath as Tommy finished his story. "Alright. I'm going to have a _serious_ talk with your brothers, that is _unacceptable._ "

"Yeah?" Tommy asked, and the hope and relief in his voice made Phil want to cry.

Instead, he nodded firmly. "Yeah."

"I still can't believe Wilbur did all that," Niki murmured, hands folded tightly in her lap. She wasn't looking at anyone. "It doesn't feel real, you know?"

"About time someone talked sense into him," Quackity commented, standing and stretching. "Honestly, yesterday, I was sure he was just gonna ignore us and detonate everything."

"Um. About that, Big Q."

Quackity turned to stare, horrified, at Tommy. "No. He didn't."

Tommy shook his head. "Not yet, not yet, but he's going to. Tomorrow, he said, and I don't know if I can talk him out of it this time."

"Tommy," Phil said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You've been doing an incredible job so far, and I am _so_ proud of you for talking Wilbur down as often as you have. But I'm not going to make you do it again. Let me take it from here, alright?"

It was almost as if Phil had taken a physical weight off of Tommy's shoulders; the poor kid visibly relaxed as he said "... Yeah. Alright."

Niki took Tommy's hand comfortingly as Phil stood and turned to Quackity. "You said he's in the tunnels?"

Quackity nodded. "Yeah, this way."

The tunnels, as it turned out, were a team effort from Tubbo and Tommy to connect Pogtopia to Tommy's old house. And it wasn't so much a network of tunnels as it was a straight shot to the heart of Manberg.

"Isn't that... you know, dangerous?" Phil asked.

Quackity shrugged. "I mean yeah, sort of, but we've been careful. And Schlatt knows better than to just attack us outright."

It still nagged at Phil, though, especially as the tunnel stretched on and on with no Tubbo or Wilbur in sight. Where were they? Surely they hadn't gone this far...

It was Quackity who saw it first. "Look, over there!"

There was a sign placed in the middle of the tunnel, a single word painted neatly across it.

_Tommorow._

"'Tomorrow'," Phil read, heart sinking. "Do you think..."

Quackity's face was ashen. "Wilbur's gone ahead. He's lying in wait over there, he's going to blow up Manberg, he's lost it -"

Phil frowned. "But wouldn't Tubbo have tried to stop him? He wasn't on board with this plan, right?"

"No, he wasn't, but what other explanation could there possibly be?" Quackity started pacing in tight, anxious circles. "Oh man, I messed up..."

Something wasn't right here. Phil's instincts were telling him there was something else, something they weren't seeing yet. And he hadn't survived alone for so long by ignoring his intuition. He started scouring the small section of tunnel, searching for any sign of his kids.

Eventually, he found what he was looking for, though it painted a far darker picture than he had anticipated. A mixture of terror and rage built in Phil's chest as he stared at it.

There was a small splatter of fresh blood on the floor of the tunnel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Dun dun duuun!*
> 
> Have some plot :)


	4. More Questions

Techno was having a pretty good day, all things considered. Phil was on the server now, which meant Wilbur was going to get some sense knocked into him, and then hopefully Phil would be willing to help cause large-scale chaos. Exactly what that chaos would be, Techno hadn't decided yet, but they would need resources. Phil probably didn't even have armor yet.

That's why Techno was down in a strip mine looking for diamonds. He'd found two veins already, and he _swore_ he'd heard a zombie around here somewhere, which meant there might be a cave.

His communicator buzzed.

_Ph1LzA whispered to you: Techno, where are you?_

_You whispered to Ph1LzA: mining, why?_

_You whispered to Ph1LzA: welcome to the server by the way_

_Ph1LzA whispered to you: Something happened to Tubbo and Wilbur. You need to get back to Pogtopia NOW._

Icy cold dread pooled in Techno's stomach.

_You whispered to Ph1LzA: what happened?_

_Ph1LzA whispered to you: We aren't sure, that's why you need to get back here asap_

_You whispered to Ph1LzA: on my way_

Techno glanced at his coordinates. He'd gone further than he thought, but it should be a straight shot back. He put his communicator away and started speedwalking.

Unfortunately, the long, near-featureless tunnel gave him plenty of time to spiral into worry. He started imagining different scenarios that would make Phil react like that.

Wilbur hurting Tubbo and running off.

Tubbo and Wilbur getting into a fight.

Both of them getting injured and/or lost.

Wilbur wouldn't do anything too drastic to Tubbo without being provoked, Techno reasoned. He was practically his brother, after all. A voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Phil reminded him that that's exactly what Tommy had thought about _him,_ up until he shot Tubbo with a firework. Techno ignored it and walked faster.

The tunnel ended eventually, and Techno climbed the long flight of stairs to the surface, taking the last few steps at a run. He took a moment to appreciate the fresh air after so long underground, then hurried over to his horse, which he had tethered nearby.

"Carl, I know you're only my fourth-fastest, but I need you to pick up the pace, alright?" Techno told him as he got into the saddle. "This is important."

Carl, being a horse, did not reply. When Techno urged him into a gallop, though, he did seem to run a tiny bit faster than normal. Though that could have been his imagination.

The trip back to the ravine had never felt so long.

Techno did take the time to tether Carl to a nearby tree - near the horse Tommy had borrowed, who seemed unharmed - before darting down into Pogtopia proper, taking the stairs as quickly as he dared. Which, given the circumstances, was very quickly indeed.

"Techno!" Phil called from the bottom of the ravine. He, Tommy, Niki, and Quackity were all sitting by the fireplace, and they all looked shaken.

Techno jumped past the last few steps and rushed over to them. "Phil, good to see you. What's goin' on?"

"Tubbo and Wilbur are missing," Tommy blurted, and he looked about five seconds away from bursting into tears.

"Evidently, Tubbo took Wilbur into the tunnels, and when we went looking for them, all we found was some blood and a sign that says 'Tomorrow,'" Phil explained. "And according to Tommy, Wilbur had plans to detonate the TNT under Manberg tomorrow. We're pretty sure the two are related."

Well that was ominous and terrifying. "Where's the sign?"

Phil led him into the Prime Path tunnel. Like the mine, the tunnel was boring enough to send Techno's imagination spiraling. He tried to stay focused on Phil, on the sound of their footsteps, anything but his own thoughts.

Then, out of the blue, Phil spoke up. "We're going to have a talk later. Tommy told me about the festival and the fight in the pit. But Tubbo and Wilbur take priority right now, so the talk can wait until we know more."

All Techno could do was nod. That was fair, he supposed; the festival had been an awful time for everyone, Tubbo most of all, and it was partially Techno's fault. He was _not_ looking forward to that talk.

An oak sign came into view, and Techno realized they were about halfway to Manberg. Why had Tubbo and Wilbur gone out this far?

As he got closer, though, Techno frowned at the sign. "That doesn't look right."

"What do you mean?"

"The handwritin'," Techno elaborated. "It's too neat. Wilbur's has been kinda deterioratin' while we've been down here."

Phil blinked at him. "It has?"

Techno nodded. "I saw him making notes on somethin' yesterday and it looked pretty scribbly, and that's when he was calm and not in a rush. If someone had put this sign here a month ago, I would have said Wilbur did it, but not now. This was someone else."

"Oh." Phil looked a little disturbed by this news, but he shook his head slightly and continued. "The blood's over here."

"Not a splatter pattern," Techno noted with some surprise, kneeling down to get a better look. The little puddle was off to one side of the path, and already mostly dry.

Phil knelt next to him. "This is why I called you back. You're better at this sort of thing than I am."

"Eh, I just have a lot of experience with fightin'," Techno said absently, still studying the blood. "It's easy to tell how blood got somewhere if you're used to the methods."

"So how did this get here?"

Techno thought for a few more seconds, then sighed. "Best guess? Someone got hurt enough to bleed, then whatever body part was bleedin' got set against the ground for a minute. So maybe a cut on their leg and they sat down or somethin' like that."

Phil frowned. "But if one of them got hurt, why wouldn't they come back to Pogtopia?"

"Maybe they couldn't."

"As in someone was stopping them?"

Techno nodded slowly, standing up and glancing around the tunnel. "It's a distinct possibility. Only question is, who was stoppin' who?"

Phil stood as well. "Techno. Do you think Wilbur hurt Tubbo?"

The question lay heavy and painful in the air between them. Techno wanted to say no, he wanted _so badly_ to say no, Wilbur wouldn't do that, he wasn't that desperate. Except he was. And he might.

"... I don't know," he said eventually, the quiet admission feeling loud and destructive as a gunshot. He used to know his brothers better than he knew himself. When had they become strangers?

"Quackity thinks it was Wilbur," Phil told him at the same volume. "He thinks Wilbur mentioned his plan, Tubbo tried to stop him, and they fought. Then Wilbur decided to just head to Manberg so he wouldn't be found out."

"Do you agree with him?"

Phil took a deep breath, pain evident in his eyes and in his voice. "The Wilbur I know would never do that. But from everything Tommy's said... I don't think this is the Wilbur I know anymore. So I'm not sure."

"Then we find out." Techno had never been good at dealing with uncertainty. He made a plan of action and followed it through hell or high water, cutting down any obstacles he encountered. There was no room for uncertainty there. And when some cropped up? The easiest way to get rid of it was to gather information.

Phil must have noticed the change in Techno's tone; there was a new intensity in his eyes as he asked "You have an idea?"

Techno nodded. "You get caught up on everythin', keep an eye on Pogtopia, figure out if anyone saw or heard anythin' weird. I'm gonna go to Manberg and see if I can find any signs of Wilbur or Tubbo."

"Want some backup?"

"Nah. You don't know the territory, and the other three would slow me down." Techno went through a mental list of everything he had and everything he needed; he had his netherite, he had most of his weapons, he had food. Honestly, he was fully equipped for a reconnaissance mission.

Phil nodded. "Alright. Stay safe, and message me if you find anything."

"I will." Techno drew his sword and headed down the path, listening to Phil's footsteps recede as he went back to Pogtopia.

He was going to find his brothers. Heaven help anyone who got in his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Detective Techno is on the case! :D


	5. Some Answers

Tubbo leaned his head back against the cold stone wall, keeping his eyes closed and his breathing even.

Breathe in for one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Hold for one, two, three, four. Breathe out for one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Repeat.

On the other side of the small room, Wilbur was pacing like a caged animal. Tubbo could hear the rustling of his coat, the thudding of boots on stone, and the quiet, angry muttering of a man who felt betrayed.

If anyone should feel betrayed in this situation, it was himself, Tubbo mused. Back in that tunnel, Wilbur had said some nasty things about Tommy, and about Quackity, and about Techno. Tubbo had gotten really, properly angry - a rare occurrence - and he and Wilbur had started arguing. Full-on shouting.

He wondered, idly, what the outcome of that argument would have been if they hadn't been interrupted.

Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.

"Can you _stop_ that??" Wilbur snapped, pausing in his pacing.

Tubbo cracked one eye open. "Stop what?"

"You're breathing so loud I can barely hear myself _think!_ "

"Well, I can't exactly stop breathing, Wilbur," Tubbo pointed out. Oh, his voice was shaking a little, that was new. "I'm trying to stay calm over here."

Wilbur laughed. It was a sharp, bitter sound. "That's rich, coming from a traitor."

"I _didn't betray you,_ Wil!"

"Were you ever even on our side?" Wilbur asked like Tubbo hadn't said anything at all.

Tubbo was getting sick of having this conversation. "Yes, I was! I still am!"

"Sure you are."

"I've _told_ you what happened," Tubbo reminded him, trying to keep a lid on his frustration and hurt. Exploding on Wilbur again would not help the situation.

Wilbur sat down heavily, leaning back against the wall to mimic Tubbo's position. "Tell me again. I want to make sure the details haven't changed."

How long had he mistrusted Tubbo like this? Since the election? Since before? Or was it only recent?

Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.

"We were in the tunnels," Tubbo said slowly, trying to remember all the details. "You were getting all worked up talking about Manberg, so you just kept walking. You said some awful things about Tommy and the others."

_Maybe he goes to pick up our 'allies' from spawn so he can report to Schlatt. He's too weak and inexperienced to know better._

"I told you to take it back, you said no, we started arguing..."

_I bet you're a traitor too, Tubbo! Everyone's a traitor, no one's on our side, they never have been!_

That fight had _hurt._ Wilbur had held nothing back, had aimed for all of Tubbo's weak spots, had said anything he thought might give him an edge. Tubbo had avoided a few barbs, knowing they would cut too deep, but Wilbur had used them happily.

_You are not my brother._

Tubbo shoved the memory away and kept going, his voice a little shakier now. "Then... you got hit in the head really hard by a rock."

Wilbur had been cut off mid-sentence by that rock. It had come whistling down the tunnel and slammed into the side of his head, knocking him out, leaving a beat of stunned silence. If Tubbo had been less shocked and worried, the timing would have been funny.

"You passed out, and then Schlatt showed up. He had Ponk and Punz with him, I think? They just sort of stepped out of a little side tunnel and started laughing at me. They all had weapons."

_Well, well, well. Looks like we caught two for the price of one, boys!_

"What did Schlatt say?" Wilbur pressed.

Tubbo hesitated.

_You know, Tubbo, I wasn't expecting you to stick around after your execution. You should have gotten out of here while you had the chance._

"... He told me that I had two choices. Try to run, and they'd hurt you, or follow them back to Manberg and they wouldn't hurt you. I decided to follow them."

_You think you could get both of you out alive? With Wilbur unconscious and all three of us armed? Yeah, not gonna happen._

He hadn't wanted to go with them. The idea had made his breathing go funny and his stomach churn, bringing back memories of boxes and explosions and betrayals. Besides, even if they killed Wilbur, he'd respawn back in Pogtopia, so it would be fine. He should have just run back down the tunnel and gotten the others.

But he'd glanced down at his big brother, seen a small pool of blood forming under his head, and realized with a sickening jolt he couldn't do it. He couldn't leave him behind, not like this.

There was still blood in Wilbur's hair.

"They blindfolded me, brought us here, and you woke up a little while ago," Tubbo finished.

Wilbur snorted. "And that's it?"

"What do you want from me, Wilbur?" Tubbo snapped. "Do you want me to _die_ to prove my loyalty to Pogtopia? Because I already did that! Schlatt executed me for it!" Fireworks and tiny boxes and pain pain pain-

Breathe in hold breathe out breathe in hold breathe out, keep counting, keep counting.

"I don't know what I want," Wilbur admitted quietly over Tubbo's slightly-panicked breathing. He rubbed his eyes, and suddenly he looked less angry and more tired. "I don't know anymore, Tubbo, it's all just... Who can I trust? Everyone's betraying me, it doesn't even _matter_ anymore. I don't even care if you're working for Schlatt. It doesn't matter."

"You can trust your family." That was something Tubbo knew down to his bones.

Wilbur laughed again. "Your family killed you! Techno shot you in the chest with a firework!"

Tubbo flinched at the reminder, but kept going. "He didn't want to, and it was the best option. He told me so afterward."

"He still did it."

And that was the thing. Techno had sat down with him and explained his reasoning in that quiet, methodical way of his. Tubbo had assured him that he understood, that he forgave him, and he did! But Tubbo also flinched at fireworks and hated enclosed spaces and woke up screaming sometimes, and even in this decently large cell was having trouble staying calm. Techno had done that. There was no getting around it.

Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.

Silence fell, something heavy and stifling. Tubbo closed his eyes again and focused on his breathing. He heard Wilbur start tapping a soft, random rhythm on his knee.

"Psst."

Tubbo's eyes flew open.

Wilbur looked as startled as he felt, but he wasn't looking at Tubbo. He was looking up at the tiny, barred window near the top of their cell.

Tubbo followed his gaze and gasped. "Technoblade?"

"Hullo," Techno said quietly, waving. He was practically laying down to see through the little window, since it was on ground level.

Tubbo jumped up and grabbed one of the bars. "Boy am I glad to see you!"

"Keep your voice down," Techno murmured, though he was smiling ever so slightly. "What happened?"

"Schlatt showed up, knocked Wilbur out with a rock, blindfolded me, and brought us both here, wherever here is," Tubbo summarized, trying his best to do it quietly.

"You're underneath the White House. Are either of you hurt?"

Tubbo thought for a second. "Wilbur's head has basically stopped bleeding, so I think we're alright? They took our communicators, though, plus all our gear."

"Well, that explains why Phil couldn't get a hold of you. He's been tryin' off and on while I scouted Manberg." Techno's ear twitched, and he tensed. "Someone's comin'. Sit down."

Tubbo did so without question, knowing that Techno would get out of sight as quickly and quietly as he could. Wilbur, who hadn't stood up, leaned his head back and closed his eyes, pretending to rest.

Sure enough, a moment later, there was the sound of a key in a lock, and Schlatt himself stepped into their cell.

"Schlatt," Tubbo greeted him, hating how much his voice shook.

"Hello Tubbo." That oil-slick, self-satisfied tone and predatory grin made Tubbo's skin crawl. "How are you enjoying Manberg's legendary hospitality? Are you comfortable?"

Tubbo shook his head. "Not really, actually. I'd like to leave."

Schlatt's grin widened. "Oh, we'll let you out tomorrow, don't you worry. I just wanted to make sure you weren't planning to escape."

"Why should you care?" Wilbur asked listlessly from his spot against the wall. He had opened his eyes, but the only emotion in them was resignation. Tubbo had to hand it to him, he was a _good_ actor. "Does it even matter anymore?"

"Not really. I just don't want you to miss the show."

Tubbo frowned. "Show? What show?"

"The fireworks show, of course!" Schlatt laughed, spreading his arms like he was giving a speech. "It's going to be a sight to see, just you wait! The first time didn't really _take_ , so we're going to take things to the next level."

Tubbo felt himself start shaking. The world felt fuzzy and sharply in focus at the same time, and he couldn't breathe, and everything was bright colors bursting around him and all he could hear was explosions -

Wilbur's laugh cut through the noise in his thoughts. "As if you could put on a show that isn't as pathetic as you are."

Schlatt's grin twisted into a sneer. "Laugh all you want, Soot. We'll see who's laughing tomorrow." He turned with a flourish and left the cell, locking it behind him.

There was a long, tense pause as Schlatt's footsteps faded away. Then they heard shuffling outside, and Techno reappeared in the window.

"I think I know what he's plannin'," Techno hissed, and there was an urgency in his voice that hadn't been there before. "It's late, so we're gonna get you out of there tomorrow mornin'. You're not gonna die again. And I'll make Schlatt pay for this, I promise."

"Will tomorrow morning be too late?" Wilbur asked, and Tubbo couldn't tell if he cared about the answer.

Techno shook his head. "It won't. We'll make sure of it."

"Be safe," Tubbo said, because what else could he say? What else mattered right now?

"I will." And then Techno was gone, leaving them with just their thoughts.

After a moment, Wilbur spoke up. "I'm... sorry I called you a traitor, Tubbo."

"So you've changed your mind?"

A small, hesitant nod.

Tubbo frowned. "Why? What changed all of a sudden?"

Wilbur hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, "It was... the way Schlatt referenced your execution. Your reaction to it, more specifically. You can't fake fear like that."

Tubbo hugged his knees against his chest and didn't say anything. There was nothing to say.

All they could do now was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to smol-birb-boi for figuring out what was going on! :D


	6. Plans

Techno stormed into Pogtopia with a sword in his hand and rage in his heart. He was going to make Schlatt _pay._

Phil was waiting for him. "You said you found them?"

"I found them, alright," Techno growled. "They're locked up underneath the White House."

"They're _what?_ " Tommy's voice, high and terrified, echoed through the ravine as he sprinted over. "Techno, Techno, they're _locked up?_ What happened? Do you know what the sign was about?"

Phil gently put a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "One question at a time. C'mon, let's go sit down."

Tommy ran to get Quackity and Niki, and the five of them sat by the fireplace. Everyone looked expectantly to Techno, in varying states of trepidation and resolve.

"I found Wilbur and Tubbo in a cell underneath the White House," Techno started, ignoring the pins-and-needles sensation of so many expectant gazes. "Wilbur got knocked out, which is where the blood came from, but other than that Tubbo says they're fine."

"So Schlatt hasn't hurt them?" Niki pressed.

"Not yet."

Phil, of course, caught on instantly. "You think he will?"

Techno nodded. "He came in to talk to them while I was there. He kept referencin' a show tomorrow, and kinda hinted it would be like Tubbo's execution."

"Oh." Tommy went white as a sheet. "He's... Oh no, he knows where the button is. Schlatt knows where the button is. He planted the sign and he's going to blame everything on Wilbur."

Quackity swore. Niki gasped. Phil glanced at Techno, worry in his eyes, and Techno nodded ever so slightly. That had been his guess. Phil's worry began to visibly melt into anger.

"I told them we'd get them out tomorrow mornin'," Techno told the others. "Schlatt will probably wait to set everythin' off until later in the day."

"How can we be sure?" Tommy demanded, and he sounded terrified and angry and concerned and everything in between.

Techno sighed. "It'll be a little bit of a risk. But it will also lure Schlatt into a false sense of security, because in his mind, we'd come to get them the second we figured out what was goin' on. That's an advantage, and we need as many of those as we can get."

"Techno," Phil said, his tone falsely calm, "Tommy says you've been gathering resources. Do you have enough to storm Manberg?"

"I've been gatherin' resources for that exact purpose." Techno started counting things off on his fingers. "I have four stacks of golden apples, all the potions we want, full netherite for me and some ingots to make a set for you, lots of diamonds, horses, a trident, a sword, and a really good bow."

"And the rocket launcher," Quackity reminded him.

Techno's ears flattened in alarm, Tubbo's panicked breathing echoing in his head. "Nope, I, uh, ran out of rockets. They're really hard to make."

That earned him a few confused looks, but everyone seemed to accept his excuse. Good.

Phil - thank God for Phil - changed the subject. "So what's our plan?"

"Get geared up and attack Manberg first thing tomorrow mornin'," Techno decided. Planning an attack was comfortable and familiar, and came with the confidence of doing something you're good at. "Tommy, Quackity, and Niki, you three will go get Tubbo and Wilbur. Try to stay out of sight as much as you can. Phil and I will be the distraction."

"I'm assuming that means we'll be causing chaos."

Techno grinned. "I find massacres to be fairly effective distractions, don't you?"

Phil grinned back, something angry and dangerous in his eyes. "I do indeed."

They discussed logistics for a few minutes - who had what items, how resources should be distributed during the assault, the best invasion route - before everyone scattered to begin preparations.

Phil, however, stayed behind, and put a hand on Techno's arm to stop him from leaving. He waited until the others were out of earshot before asking, "You aren't out of rockets, are you?"

After a long moment of hesitation, Techno shook his head.

"Why tell them you are, then?"

"Schlatt referenced the festival. I was hidin', so I couldn't see Tubbo's face, but..." How could he even describe it? Hearing the tremor in Tubbo's voice, hearing the shaky, rapid breathing, seeing the residual fear in his little brother's eyes as he told Techno to be careful, knowing that _he had caused all of that._ He hadn't seen the full aftereffects of his actions before, not until Schlatt used them like a weapon against his trapped and terrified brother. Sitting there listening to Schlatt terrorize his family, unable to do anything, he had realized just how much he'd messed up. And it _hurt._

Phil studied him for a moment. Then, without a word, pulled him into a hug.

Techno hugged him back fiercely, burying his face in Phil's shoulder. He was shaking a little. Not crying, but definitely overwhelmed and upset. "I messed up, Phil," he murmured into Phil's coat. "And I don't know how to fix it."

"It'll take time," Phil told him quietly. "It'll take time and work and communication, but you _can_ make it better."

If there was one thing Techno was awful at, it was communication, but... this was _Tubbo._ He owed it to his brother to at least try. "Where do I even start?"

"Let's start with preventing any more trauma, alright?"

"... Can we give Schlatt trauma instead?" Techno asked hopefully.

Phil snorted. "Yes, absolutely."

They stayed there for another minute or so, and Techno allowed himself to relax a bit for the first time in a while. He wasn't alone in this; Phil would be right there with him.

"Thanks, Dad," he said as he finally pulled away from the hug. He chose not to comment on the flustered, pleased grin on Phil's face (it wasn't often that one of them called Phil Dad, so when they did it often got a reaction), instead walking briskly toward the stairs. "C'mon, I'll show you my base. We should start brewing potions and getting you decent armor."

Phil laughed and followed him. "Right behind you, son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some good Dadza content for you :D


	7. Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some non-graphic depictions of death in here! They're really short and no one's permanently dead (this is Minecraft, after all), but if that's something that bothers you then read the part about the battle itself with caution.

The sun lingered just below the horizon, the first rays of light not yet visible. Even the birds were still asleep. Everything was silent and still, save for five warriors making their way to Manberg. The soft footsteps of horses and the gentle purple shimmer of enchanted gear were the only things to give them away.

Tommy unconsciously tightened his grip on the reins of the horse he was leading as they drew closer and closer to what used to be his home. He was really, really nervous. He was trying hard not to show it, though, because there was nothing to be scared of! They would pull this off easily, and Tubbo and Wilbur would be safe, and Phil would help them reestablish L'manberg, and everything would be great.

He just had to not mess up.

The person walking next to him - it was hard to tell in the darkness who was who - took his hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Tommy almost jumped out of his skin before he realized it was just Phil.

Phil huffed softly in amusement, and Tommy stuck out his tongue at him. They didn't speak (words would be too loud), but having a hand to hold actually helped a lot. It wasn't just Tommy making this tense, silent journey, and it wouldn't be just Tommy when they reached their destination, either. Niki and Quackity were leading horses as well, so they would be ready to ride away as soon as they had rescued the missing members of Pogtopia.

They reached the splitting-off point far too soon.

Phil gave Tommy's hand one more squeeze, Techno nodded to them, and then Tommy, Niki, and Quackity were leading their horses away, skirting Manberg's border.

Light was steadily building on the horizon. It was nearly time.

They reached their destination - a small group of trees near the White House - just before the sunrise properly began. The plan was relatively simple: wait for Techno and Phil to cause a commotion, sneak into the White House, find Tubbo and Wilbur, get their gear, and get out.

Simple.

Their communicators all vibrated in unison - a message had been sent to everyone on the server.

[Ph1LzA]: _RISE AND SHINE, MANBERG, UP AND AT EM!_

[Ph1LzA]: _A very UNPLEASANT MORNING to you, now WAKE UP AND COME FACE ME._

A moment passed. Two. Tommy could just make out Techno and Phil from here, the enchanted shine of their armor making them much easier to spot.

Then another message came through.

[Jschlatt]: _Good morning to you too, Phil! It's been a while. Come to see the show, have you?_

Fear, cold and sharp as ice, filled Tommy's lungs. It felt like he was choking on it.

[Ph1LzA]: _No, actually, I'm here to fight you._

[Jschlatt]: _Oh, but it's going to be spectacular! We've got some special guests and everything!_

No. No. No.

_Technoblade whispered to you: podium_

_Technoblade whispered to you: get their stuff and stay clear, Phil and I can handle this_

"They're at the podium," Tommy whispered shakily.

Niki looked like she was about to cry. Quackity just looked lost. And Tommy felt weirdly numb; there was a tempest of emotion howling in his chest, but it felt muted and far away, like it wasn't quite real.

"We still need their gear," he muttered, focusing on what Techno had said. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other. "Quackity, where would they keep that?"

Quackity took a deep, steadying breath. "Well, the um, the cell they were in wasn't there when I left Manberg, but I can make a few guesses."

"Go grab it, then get back to Pogtopia. Make sure you get their communicators, everything else can be replaced," Tommy instructed.

Quackity nodded, focused and determined now that he had a goal, and hurried toward the White House.

Tommy turned to Niki. He wasn't certain of much at that moment, but one thing he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, deeper than he'd ever known anything else: "I need to go help."

"I know. I'll back you up any way I can," she assured him, smiling through fear and uncertainty.

Tommy offered a tense smile of his own, grateful that she understood, and they began making their way toward the podium.

\--

Phil had been angry at Schlatt. He had been angry when Tommy and Techno put the pieces together, he had been angry during the tense walk to Manberg, he had been angry when Schlatt didn't seem to consider him a threat.

Now? He was _furious._

Wilbur and Tubbo - his _kids,_ how _dare_ Schlatt touch them - were tied up and kneeling on the stage, right in front of the president's giant, ostentatious chair. Even from across the little plaza, Phil could see Tubbo shaking. Schlatt was standing just behind him, one hand tangled in Tubbo's hair and forcing his head down, a smug, oily grin on his face. There was a button sitting innocently on a pedestal next to him.

"Philza! Technoblade! We've been expecting you!" Schlatt crowed, and from various places around the plaza there was the distinct sound of crossbows being primed to fire.

Phil glanced around; Schlatt's lackeys, few as they were, had them surrounded. One behind, one on top of a building to their left, one to their right. Techno had noted their locations too; he almost looked relaxed, a trident in one hand and a sword in the other, but Phil could see the tension waiting to explode like a coiled spring.

"If you try to attack me, they'll fire." Schlatt's tone was casual, almost flippant. "And if you go after them first, I'll press this button and we all go up. I'm afraid you're out of options."

Tubbo let out a tiny, terrified sob.

"Shut up," Schlatt hissed, and tightened his grip on Tubbo's hair.

Phil saw _red._

He barely even registered yanking Techno's trident away and chucking it full-force at Schlatt. There was just a haze of _rage,_ so fierce it felt like he was burning from the inside out. Then he was running, sprinting as hard as he could for the stage, as Schlatt shied away from the trident buried in the floorboards and Techno's bow thrummed behind him, taking out the crossbowmen.

A crossbow bolt skated across Phil's armor, doing no damage. He ignored it. It didn't matter. What mattered was climbing these vines as quickly as humanly possible because _Schlatt needed to die-_

There was a yelp, and as Phil pulled himself up onto the stage he saw Schlatt scrambling up from the floor and Tubbo standing, chest heaving, staring wide-eyed at the president. Phil realized with a surge of pride that Tubbo had tripped Schlatt to keep him away from the button.

As Schlatt reached his feet and Tubbo stumbled away, Phil yanked the trident out of the floor and pointed it at Schlatt. He was blazing with rage, shaking with the force of it, but his voice was cold as the Arctic. "You are going to die."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Schlatt laughed, drawing a sword. "I'll just respawn. It won't matter."

"I'm counting on you respawning. Once won't be enough," Phil growled, and took a swipe at him with the trident.

\--

For the first time that day, Tommy was certain what he needed to do.

Techno was easily holding back Schlatt's goons, who had evidently set their spawnpoint very close by, as they reappeared very quickly after dying. Phil was attacking Schlatt like an avenging angel, more angry and more terrifying than Tommy had ever seen him.

There was still something that needed doing.

"You get Wilbur," he told Niki, "and I'll get Tubbo. Cut the ropes, get on the horse, and get back to Pogtopia. We'll be right behind you. Move in on my mark." They couldn't go in yet, not with Phil and Schlatt right there. They couldn't risk interrupting.

Niki nodded, steely determination in her eyes.

Tommy waited with bated breath. Not yet, not yet, not yet...

Phil Sparta-kicked Schlatt off the podium and jumped down after him, Riptide humming on the tines of his borrowed trident.

" _Now._ "

They sprinted through the back entrance of the podium, swords at the ready.

Niki snapped the rope on Wilbur's wrists with one well-placed sword swipe, then grabbed his collar and pulled him toward the exit, ignoring his squawk of protest.

Tommy opted to saw through Tubbo's bonds. "You okay, big man?"

"The button," Tubbo wheezed, wriggling out of the ropes and turning to lock eyes with Tommy. He was _scared,_ but there was determination in his gaze. "Tommy, the button."

Tommy's eyes flicked to the button on the pedestal, just a few feet away. "Is it that one?"

Tubbo nodded.

"You're sure it isn't a decoy?"

"They were still setting it up when they brought us over here. It's real."

Tommy hesitated for just a moment. He'd told Niki they would be right behind her, and part of him was screaming that he needed to _get Tubbo out of there._ But at the same time... "We'll have to work fast."

\--

Phil wrenched his trident out of Schlatt's chest, watching as his body dissolved - the result of a fatal blow. The president would respawn shortly, though where exactly he'd set his spawnpoint was a mystery. Phil glanced over his shoulder; Techno was still fighting three on one and winning easily. His opponents were gradually slowing down, growing more and more afraid of facing him, but Techno seemed to be having the time of his life.

Phil widened his scan of the battlefield. Wilbur and Tubbo were no longer visible; hopefully they had found a safe place to hide. The three youngest members of the strike team were also nowhere in sight, which gave him some hope that they had actually listened to instructions for once and were safely back in the ravine. And no sign of Schlatt yet...

Suddenly, Schlatt's laugh rang out across the plaza.

Phil's gaze snapped up to the podium, where Schlatt stood with his hand poised over the button, a wide grin on his face.

"Well, this has been fun, but I think it's time to end it. Goodbye, gentlemen." And Schlatt pressed the button.

There was a sudden, terrified lurch in Phil's stomach, and he took an automatic half-step forward, as though that could stop the redstone signal.

_Please let Wilbur and Tubbo be out of the blast zone._

For a moment, there was complete silence on the battlefield, all the combatants holding their breaths in anticipation. Then, as seconds ticked by and nothing happened, they all started glancing around, confused.

Schlatt frowned and pressed the button again. Then again.

Another laugh rang out, this one wild and familiar.

"Looking for something?" Tommy asked smugly, leaning out from behind the chair and holding up a handful of redstone dust.

Tubbo leaned out as well, grinning. "We disconnected it!"

Schlatt just stared at them for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed in a vicious glare, and he snarled "You _what_ -"

That's as far as he got before Phil's trident buried itself in his chest again.

Phil climbed up to the podium again and grabbed his trident, then turned to his two youngest. "You two are _so reckless,_ we told you to go to Pogtopia!"

"Well you needed our help!" Tommy pointed out, his head held high in defiance. Tubbo mimicked him. "We had to protect you and stop him from blowing up L'manberg!"

Phil stared him down for a few more seconds, then relaxed and pulled them both into a fierce hug. "You're going to make me go grey, but I am _so_ proud of you both."

Tommy and Tubbo returned the hug, clinging to Phil like a lifeline.

They stayed there until Techno climbed up onto the podium next to them. "Phil, I killed Schlatt again. His spawn's set in the original button room, right behind that hill."

Phil pulled away from Tommy and Tubbo and nodded. "And the others?"

"Ran off." Techno's proud grin would have been slightly disturbing to anyone else, but in this case, Phil fully agreed with the sentiment.

"Take these two back to the ravine. I'm going to go have words with Schlatt."

Thankfully, this time, they went without complaint. Tommy led his brothers off to where he left his horse, starting to ramble as he went.

Phil watched them go, then walked calmly over to the location Techno had pointed out. Sure enough, there was a hole in the side of the hill, and he stepped inside to see a stone room empty save for a bed, and Schlatt in the process of standing up.

Schlatt froze when he saw Phil. "Oh! Hello, Phil, fancy seeing you here. I don't suppose I could ask you to let me by...?"

"You know, I've been thinking," Phil told him conversationally, twirling his trident. "It seems fair to me that you die once for every hour I had to worry about the well- being of my kids. That would be since yesterday afternoon. I've killed you twice now, so we have a lot left to get through. Shall we get started?"

Phil left Manberg much later with the promise that Schlatt would be leaving the server permanently. He hadn't looked Phil in the eye while he made the promise, and he had been shaking slightly from the strain of dying so many times in rapid succession.

Phil smiled. His family was safe and their country had been won back; it was turning out to be a beautiful morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phil doesn't mess around when it comes to protecting his kids
> 
> There's going to be one more chapter! Something soft and fluffy to make up for the pain :D


	8. Epilogue

The next week or so was full of chaos in the best possible way. There was the issue of moving everything important from Pogtopia back into L'manberg, which took a day or two, and then the conversation of who should be in charge began.

Since Wilbur was _absolutely not allowed_ to be in charge anymore, it was initially suggested that Tommy should be promoted, since he was technically still vice present. Tommy, however, in a rare showing of humility and maturity, declined the position, asking to retain his status as second in command.

"I'm not ready to run a country," he admitted to Phil in private. "Wilbur was right about that, at least. I think I work better as a right hand man anyway."

Tommy was the one to suggest an alternative president. While his suggestion was met with surprise at first, the longer it was considered, the more sense it made. In the end, the decision was unanimous.

The ceremony to induct Tubbo as president of L'manberg was short, sweet, and to the point, and held on a section of the Prime Path rather than the podium. Phil absolutely _did not cry_ when Tubbo gave his acceptance speech, of course not, just like he didn't cry when he gave his two youngest sons a hug afterwards and told them how unbelievably proud he was.

Tubbo had given several decrees in rather short order; he officially pardoned everyone in Pogtopia, the podium was torn down and replaced with something far less ostentatious, the country was officially renamed L'manberg, the TNT was removed and placed safely away in an ender chest, and bees were put under the protection of the president. He and Tommy had also been seen huddled over law books and notebooks, scribbling and murmuring to each other, so it seemed safe to say they were planning even more ways to rebuild their country.

The other members of Pogtopia were offered jobs, as well, which they all accepted. Niki became Chief Baker of the State, which Tubbo insisted was "definitely a real thing," and had been given some diamonds to help pay for a fancy new bakery. Quackity was nominated as L'manberg's official judge, as Tubbo couldn't be president and Big Law at the same time, though he assured Quackity that Big Law would be available to help anytime he needed assistance. Techno was given two positions: the president's bodyguard, and Head Potato Farmer of L'manberg, with a large field to plant crops in (Techno would forever deny his happy gasp when he saw the field for the first time, but they all heard it).

And evidently, Tommy had told Tubbo about Phil's offhanded comment about his role on the server, because he was offered the job of Head Aesthetics Officer, which he was also assured was "definitely a thing, Phil, that's a really common position in governments." Phil had accepted the role with the condition that it would be off-and-on; he had his own world that he wanted to get back to at some point, but he promised to come visit every now and again.

As if anything could keep him away now.

The new roles and the general process of repairing a country had taken a lot of their time; there were days where Phil had barely had the energy to take his armor off before crawling into bed, and he had more than once found the other members of their little family passed out in various locations. But now that things had calmed down, they were finally able to take some time off and relax a little.

" _TOMMY GIVE ME THE FLINT AND STEEL!!_ "

Tommy cackled maniacally as he sprinted away from his brother. "I outrank you, you can't tell me what to do anymore!"

Wilbur sputtered indignantly. "I'm still older!"

"Boys," Phil called after them over the sound of Tubbo giggling, barely suppressing his own laughter. "We do still need that!"

"Well if Wilbur would just _let me have it-_ "

"You can't be trusted with them, you little gremlin!" Wilbur tried to tackle Tommy and missed, faceplanting into the grass.

Phil couldn't help it; he burst out laughing, joined quickly by Techno, who had been watching from the sidelines in amusement. Tubbo fell over on his side, wheezing from laughing so hard.

Tommy was laughing, too, and that gave Wilbur the opening he needed to try again, successfully tackling Tommy to the ground this time. They started wrestling for the flint and steel, barking insults and curses, but Phil wasn't worried. This was play fighting; Tommy was still giggling, Wilbur kept grinning, and when a joint was bent weird or someone was pinned in a way that hurt, they backed off for a moment, muttering apologies.

It was wonderful to watch. But they did still need that flint and steel.

Phil glanced over at Techno and raised an eyebrow, tilting his head toward the commotion. Techno nodded, stood, and walked calmly over to Tommy and Wilbur. He considered them for a moment, waited for an opportunity, then grabbed Tommy around the middle and slung him over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Tommy _screeched._ "Techno put me down!!"

"Nah."

" _Techno you jerk I'm gonna kill you-_ "

Techno ignored the screaming, wriggling teenager and brought him back over to the fire pit they'd constructed, dumping him onto the ground next to Phil.

Phil put a hand on Tommy's shoulder before he could jump up and attack _another_ one of his siblings. "Tommy, I'll let you light the fire so long as you give me the flint and steel afterward. Deal?"

Tommy huffed in irritation, though everyone knew he wasn't really upset. "Fine. Deal."

Wilbur came back over, taking an empty spot in the circle. His body language was relaxed and calm, miles away from where it had been when Phil first saw him in Pogtopia after the battle. He looked happy.

Tommy managed to get a fire going after only a few tries. He tried to use Tubbo's puppy eyes technique on Phil, to no effect, and pouted when he had to follow through on his deal and give the flint and steel back.

"How long until we can make s'mores?" Tubbo piped up.

"The fire has to burn down a little first," Phil reminded him. "Otherwise it's hard to cook the marshmallows right."

Techno snorted. "Says you."

"I mean, they aren't _bad_ burned..." Tubbo mused, staring thoughtfully at the bag of marshmallows.

"Heathens, both of you," Phil sighed, and they all laughed.

Wilbur cleared his throat. "Well, while we're waiting..." He reached behind him and brought out an old, well-loved guitar.

Tommy gasped. "You're going to play??"

"Yeah." Wilbur strummed it experimentally, making a few tuning adjustments. "It's been a while, I've missed it."

And that's when it really hit Phil that Wilbur was going to be okay. He wasn't all the way there, of course, but he would get there eventually. He was going to be alright.

Wilbur plucked out a few random notes, then nodded, satisfied. "In honor of my little brother's new position -" he and Tubbo locked eyes, and Phil got the impression there were a thousand unsaid things behind that phrasing - "I think this is an appropriate song.

"I heard there was a secret place, where men could go and emancipate..."

Glancing around the fire, all Phil saw were smiles and relaxed body language. His family was safe and happy, and he was so proud of them it almost hurt.

Wilbur's voice was light but full of emotion as he sang his country's anthem. With his eyes closed, swaying gently to the rhythm, he looked at peace for the first time in a long while.

Tommy wordlessly leaned back against Phil, who automatically wrapped an arm around him. Tubbo had opened the marshmallow bag without anyone noticing and was munching on a few, staring at Wilbur like he had hung the moon. And Techno had set aside his crown, cape, and armor, just for tonight. He was just leaning back on one arm, smiling slightly, looking like _himself_ rather than Technoblade the living weapon.

Phil just grinned. He loved his family with every fiber of his being, so much he sometimes thought his heart would burst, and he wouldn't change any of them for the world.

As Wilbur reached the last chorus, Tubbo and Tommy joined in. The three of them sang together to the country they had created and fought for.

"My L'manberg, my L'manberg. My L'manberg, my L'maaanberg."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end!! Thank you guys so much for all the wonderful comments and just for reading my story, this has been such a blast to write! I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it.
> 
> Have a wonderful day/night!!!!


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